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child psychiatric and school psychological
services a conference room headquarters
administrative offices for the nursing services
and also fully equipped audiometry and speech
therapy rooms
The centre is ideally situated to provide
a comprehensive service It is attached to
the existing administrative headquarters of
the department of health and to clinics from
which the local authority provides a whole
range of services including maternal and
child health school health ophthalmology
audiology physiotherapy chiropody dental
immunisation and vaccination It is also
adjacent to the Hounslow Hospital which has
75 beds
Phase II of the health centre which is
due for completion in June 1970 includes
provision for mental health adult psychiatric
services a day centre for those recovering
from mental illness, a health education unit
a library and three flats for nursing personnel
and a caretaker
The centre is situated in a highly populated
area a few hundred yards from the main
shopping centre of Hounslow and is on main
bus routes and near two underground stations
The Maswell Park health centre which
will provide accommodation for three family
doctors is also under construction and is due
to come into operation in June 1970 Other
centres are also planned
Frequent discussions have taken place
with groups of family doctors practising from
the health centres and with those who are
interested in working from such centres
Midwifery
Domiciliary midwifery service is provided
directly by the Council throughout the
borough except in the Brentford and Chiswick
area where midwives from Queen Charlotte's
hospital attend home confinements and the
post natal care of mothers discharged from
hospital 48 hours after confinement or earlier
than ten days after the birth of a baby is
provided by midwives employed by the London
Borough of Ealing In this area during the
year midwives from Queen Charlottes hospital
attended 18 mothers for domiciliary confinements
and there were 47 mothers who received post
natal care at home on being discharged from
hospital after 48 hours and 49 others who were
attended by midwives following early discharge
from hospital
In the borough as a whole there were 395
domiciliary confinements 366 48-hourdischarges
and 669 early discharges giving a total number of
cases amounting to 1430 and (on the basis of two
48-hour discharges and three early discharges
being equivalent to one domiciliary confinement)
an individual case-load of 62 was carried by
each midwife Combined delivery and nursing
work carried out by the staff was equivalent to
801 domiciliary confinements For purposes of
comparison the individual case-load of midwives
employed in the borough in 1965 was 57
Home deliveries continued to decline while
early discharges increased from 964 in 1968
to 1065 in 1969 In the main premature babies
were cared for within the hospital and an
oxygenated incubator was supplied by the
ambulance service whenever required
Midwives were increasingly involved in
general practice and with forming good relation
ships with colleagues in the field and assisting
in patterns of continuity of client care
Staff
A full staff of thirteen midwives continued in
post throughout the year
Training
One midwife attended a compulsory refresher
course three attended a 2 day genetic
counselling course and six participated in 2
day in-service training on preparation for
childbirth All midwives enjoyed lectures on
in-service training with particular reference to
general practitioner attachments and mental
health lectures Seven midwives are approved
as midwife teachers (For further details see
health visiting training page 24 )
Pupils
Sixteen pupil midwives enjoyed district training
six from West Middlesex Hospital and ten from
Hillingdon Hospital
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